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Italian Modular Sofa Sistema 61

Modular 'Sistema 61' sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Modular 'Sistema 61' sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli Innovative system consisting of four
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Sistema 61 Modular Sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, Italy, 1970s
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Modular 'Sistema 61' sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s. Innovative system
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Fabric

1970s Sistema 61 Giancarlo Piretti Castelli Italian Design Orange Modular Sofa
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Brescia, IT
"Sistema 41" Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli 1974 Iconic Modular sofa 8 elements in orange
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Velvet

Sistema 61 Modular Sofa By Giancarlo Piretti For Castelli, Italy 1970s
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Beautiful modular ‘Sistema 61’ sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s. This rare sofa
Category

Vintage 1960s Sectional Sofas

Materials

Metal

Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli Cognac Leather Modular 'Sistema 61' Sofa
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Almelo, NL
Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli Cognac Leather modular 'Sistema 61' sofa, Italy 1970s
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sectional Sofas

Materials

Leather

Sistema 61 Sofa by Giancarlo Piretti in Holly Hunt Suede
By Giancarlo Piretti, Castelli
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed c. 1970s and fully reupholstered in Holly Hunt Suede. This set is fully modular. Each piece
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Suede

1970s Italian Sistema 61 Sofa Design by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in London, GB
. This one in particular "Sistema 61 Modular Sofa" is made up of 10 elements that can be arranged in
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas

Materials

Metal

Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli 'Sistema 61' Sectional Sofa in Blue
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 'Sistema 61' modular sofa, fabric, plastic, Italy, 1973 In
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Sistema 61 Lounge Chairs w/ Ottoman by Giancarlo Piretti in Holly Hunt Suede
By Giancarlo Piretti, Castelli
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed c. 1970s and fully reupholstered in Holly Hunt Suede. This set is fully modular. Each piece
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Suede

Red and Smoked Lucite "Plia" Folding Chairs by Piretti for Castelli Italy
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Roma, IT
system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 8 Clear Lucite Chrome Frame "Plia" Italian Chairs for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in numerous Italian design competitions
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Enamel

Set of 8 Pink Lucite Chrome Frame "Plia" Italian Chairs for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in numerous Italian design competitions
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Enamel

Set of 8 Clear Lucite Black Frame "Plia" Italian Chairs for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in numerous Italian design competitions
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Enamel

Giancarlo Piretti Lucite Pink Folding "Plia" Italian Chair for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Straw and Chrome "Plia" Italian Chairs by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in numerous Italian design
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 6 Lucite Pink and Chrome Plia Chairs, Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
, DSC (106-AXIS), a seating system for community and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Set of 4 Cane and Chrome "Plia" Italian Chairs, Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
, DSC (106-AXIS), a seating system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 4 Lucite Pink and Chrome Plia Chairs, Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Roma, IT
system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 4 Red and Clear Lucite Plia Folding Chairs by Piretti for Castelli, Italy
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti participates in numerous Italian design competitions
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 6 Red and Smoked Lucite Plia folding chairs by Piretti for Castelli Italy
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 12 Lucite Pink and Chrome Plia Chairs, Piretti for Castelli, Italy 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system. Giancarlo Piretti
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Set of 6 folding armchairs Plona model by Giancarlo Piretti-Anonima Castelli 70s
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Padova, IT
, SISTEMA 61, a modular system of sofas. Anonima Castelli was founded in 1877 by Ettore Castelli as a
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Pluvium orange umbrella stand by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli 70s
By Giancarlo Piretti, Anonima Castelli
Located in Padova, IT
table, DSC (106-AXIS), a seating system for communities and institutional spaces, SISTEMA 61, a modular
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands

Materials

Plastic

Giancarlo Piretti Lucite Pink and White Folding Plia Chairs for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
-AXIS), a seating system for collective and institutional spaces, and SISTEMA 61, a modular sofa system
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

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Large Sectional Biomorphic Sofa by Hans Hopfer, Wiener Werkstätte Austria 1970s
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Roche Bobois Mah Jong Sectional Sofa in Custom Upholstery, Set of 12
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Polished Aluminum Magna Chair or Stool with Sheepskin Upholstery, Customizable
By Bestcase, Sight Unseen
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In this sandy slipcast ceramic wall sconce, generous curves are paired with crisp edges and the repetition of geometry to create a flow. The sconce snakes up and off the wall, a scul...
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Confidential Soda by Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti, Pierre Frey Upholstery
By Alberto Rosselli Saporiti
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Modular Stackable Solid Wood Coffee, Side Tables by Frattini for Cassina
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De Sede, 2 Terrazza Sofa DS 1025 in Leather by Ubald Klug & Ueli Berger in 1972
By De Sede, Ubald Klug, Ueli Berger
Located in Munster, NRW
2x De Sede Terrazza sofas, model DS 1025 in cognac leather. Designed in 1972 by Ubald Klug & Ueli Berger for De Sede, Switzerland. Sophisticated design sofa elements form the perfec...
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Cini Boeri for Knoll 'Brigadiere' Sofa in Black Leather
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Rare Sculptual Form 'MBR 03' Coffee Table by Michel Boyer for Rouve, Paris, 1968
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'Le Stelle' Loveseat Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1974, Reupholstered
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"Tokyo-Pop" White or Black Monobloc Armchair Designed by T. Yoshioka for Driade
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Italian Modular Sofa Sistema 61 by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, 1970s
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Sistema 61 Modular Sofa by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
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Italian Modular Sofa Sistema 61 For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal Italian modular sofa sistema 61 for your home. An Italian modular sofa sistema 61 — often made from metal, plastic and fabric — can elevate any home. There are many kinds of the Italian modular sofa sistema 61 you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. An Italian modular sofa sistema 61 is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in mid-century modern and modern styles are sought with frequency.

How Much is an Italian Modular Sofa Sistema 61?

Prices for an Italian modular sofa sistema 61 start at $437 and top out at $27,214 with the average selling for $12,129.

Giancarlo Piretti for sale on 1stDibs

Giancarlo Piretti was born in Bologna, Italy, in 1940. He attended art schools there and subsequently taught Interior Design. During that time, he was also designing furniture for Anonima Castelli. He has won numerous awards and has items in many museums, including MoMA, New York. He still lives and works in Bologna with his son, designer Alessandro Piretti.

A Close Look at mid-century-modern Furniture

Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively. 

Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer

Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.

The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.

As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.

Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.

As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.

Finding the Right seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.